Pub in son’s memory is up for top award

A pub - which devoted dad Chris Embling built in memory of his son – is in the running to win a national award.

Former Pontefract New College and Leeds United superfan student Rory Embling, of Ackworth, died suddenly last May aged just 26.

Chris Embling.

His father Chris built the pub to raise money for charity Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) and opened it in August.

The bar features sports memorabilia, a dart board and a pool table, in the back garden of the family’s home on Fothergill Avenue, Ackworth. It is now in the running to win the Games Room of the Year award given out by Home Leisure Direct.

He said: “Rory was a season ticket holder at Leeds United for 21 years and absolutely loved football. We have got around 400 autographed pieces of memorabilia from sports stars, TV stars and celebrities. We had a brilliant response from people and hopefully we can now win the competition and raise money for CRY.”

Mr Embling’s pub was chosen as one of five wildcard entries for the national competition. The winner, voted for by members of the public, will win a £3,000 prize.

The pub includes replica shirts of all of England’s 1966 World Cup winning team as well as signed football shirts from some of the world’s top players.

He said: “We built the pub in Rory’s memory and built it solely to raise money for CRY. We want to win so that we can get the money to the charity in his name too. Our aim is to raise money for CRY so that it can encourage young people to get tested for any cardiac conditions and winning the competition would see the charity move a big step nearer that.”